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I wish I studies harder in school and wasn't so immature. BUT I did start in my trade as an Iron worker at 23 and when economy crashed I earned enough pension credits to retire at 53. But never got married ,nor any kids. But in veiw of all the marriage horror stories I've witnessed maybe is was such a bad thing after all. but I still would like to become a husband.

A high school friend (Kyle MacLachlan) once urged me to take drama; maybe I should have listened, but I really doubt I would have gone very far. I studied to be an electrical engineer and ended up being a computer administrator. With my interest in cars (which I didn't fully explore until I was about 40), my best bet should have been automotive/mechanical engineer.

My life has been one adventure after another, even with the periods of extreme tribulations.I embrace them all, for they have molded me into the independent, fearless, and empathetic person I am today.I have lived my dreams, met my goals, traveled through 48 states, lived in 8 (soon to be 9 as Im heading off again...),raised two daughters, buried both the men I loved, and wiped my tears away to smile with enough hope to carry on.I wouldnt want to do it all over again. Why live inside a box?

Well maybe I would have had sex with that really hot guy back in the day,that wanted me to ___________.

I was immature and insecure for a really long time. If I could have changed that, I'm sure I would have. Some of us are just not wired the same as others, and I have learned to accept that.

I gave a lot of time to a man I didn't love--but fortunately, I also had my kids and did other things I wanted to do (I didn't let him stop me from those things, although he would have if I had let him).

I still want to travel more and live overseas. I love my job--teaching--and love going to work almost every single day.

Maybe the only think I might have done differently--had I the courage--would have been to pursue a career in acting or government, the "big" stuff I lacked the confidence to pursue. I know now it would have been ok to fail. I let that fear stop me, though.

I don't regret it--that is, I have accepted that I let fear rule me for some time. But I don't let it rule me anymore!

I wanted to be a veterinarian. Then a commercial artist school ended up be too expensive. Wandered from job to job. After missing a promotion I went back to school for computer information systems. When I graduated the tech market crashed and the jobs went to India. So back to job wandering and then I got pregnant and after she was born it became difficult to get a good enough job close to home so I open a home business and have been doing that for 9 years. I was going to go back to real world when they all want to school instead I stayed because it pays the bills and allows me to be here for them.

If I have to trade what I have to have a better career the answer is no. Yes I could have had a way better life, but I really like what I have. Today I am 50 and still not sure what I want to be when I grow up. I think the art career would not have fit with me because trying to make people buy stuff by presenting in the correct way is so not me. I loved animals but dealing with them sick and dying and dealing with sad owners would have sucked. Sitting at a desk coding would have bored me to tears.

This question, or thought exercise, kind of makes me sad.On one hand had I pursued other avenues, professionally or personally, perhaps I wouldn't be posting comments on a dating site! And yet, on the other hand, to desire that I HAD done something else is tantamount to professing that I don't particularly care for where I am nor for who I am. And since I'm not ready to admit that, at least not publicly, then I'm going to have to state that while it hasn't been the journey that I imagined 35 years ago I am content with where it has left, and led, me so far. Besides, what have I got, maybe another 45 years or so (who knows, maybe longer) think of how this journey could really turn out. The limitations I saw then are not the limitations I see now. While I may be a bit more pragmatic today I am also the beneficiary of greater resources. Could be a hoot!

TK[If the world is no longer my oyster, perhaps it is my fresh water mussel!]

I'm in IT, I started out programming mainly, on minicomputers/mainframes back in the 80's, but as the PC/Macs started making inroads and the 'big iron' started being phased out, I mainly was 'sysadmin/support' for the mini/mainframes and started branching into admin of workstations & PC networks (or probably more like 'shuffled' into, its where the work was, and it all just came naturally to me).

28yrs later (worked summers a couple years before then, but 1985 was my start into 'full time' employment in IT), I'm getting laid off the end of this week - I've spent the past month 'training my (cheaper) replacements', get 18wks severance, but honestly I'm kinda re-evaluating if I really want to be doing this again at another job. The sysadmin side has pretty much become almost cookie-cutter stuff, they don't want 'real skills' what they want now is cheap interchangeable 'resources' (at least 3/4 of which are either in India or H1B's here). Even most of the programming is outsourced offshore.

Dunno, I own my house at this point (paid off 10yrs ago now), so I really don't "need" a lot to survive, but at 49 (in 2 months) I can't really retire... trying to decide if I can just freelance a bit, repair pc's for people, etc. Get out of the 'corporate grind' as much as I can. Or maybe just get away from computers entirely, who knows.

I still enjoy my current career in the healthcare field, but I'm starting to cut back my paid hours and will increase my volunteer hours in the field I've always envied - working with animals. I'm fortunate that my local Humane Society offers numerous opportunities for volunteers - and I plan to take advantage of them.

A dream of mine has been to have a search and rescue dog - don't know if that will ever be a reality at this point - probably not. The second dream, and one that definitely can come true, is to have a therapy dog to visit hospital patients, nursing home residents, etc.

I would have joined the police or the army, something like that, when I was 16, and by 45 or so I'd be retiring at the top of my profession, as a commander, major, etc, on a big fat pension and probably quite fit.

Instead I pretty much wasted my life in a job I did for fun instead of climbing a career ladder. And now I am paying the price.

I would have joined the police or the army, something like that, when I was 16, and by 45 or so I'd be retiring at the top of my profession, as a commander, major, etc, on a big fat pension and probably quite fit.

I'm not so sure I'd be putting a lot of stock in that "big fat government pension" being there 10 years from now anymore, given the state of economies these days. Either that, or it'll be just enough to buy a loaf of bread by then with the 'big fat prices' of everything that keep going up while governments lie about inflation (lets just not count fuel, heating oil, and food... nobody uses those - hey look! You can get a new TV cheap!).

I would have ignored the "elders" who gave me bad advice -- advice that I took to heart because I was raised to believe that they knew best ALWAYS...not so. I allowed their "fears and backward thinking" to infiltrate my life -- what they believed African-Americans and women should and should not do.

Too late now, but I would have been an attorney.....and a damn good one at that!

Enjoyed most of the jobs I had....... predominantly Sales/Marketing/Manufacturer's Rep/Stock Broker. Liked the travel and huge diversity of folks I met. Had lots of freedom, made good coin, and enjoyed a pretty nice lifestyle. No regrets, but came to understand that, for the most part, we don't get financially independent working for someone else.

If I had kids, that would be the advice I would pass on. Never rely on an employer for your security. You might fall on your face a couple of times getting your own business going, but in the long run you will be better off.

Also, glad I gained the financial knowledge and discipline of investing ............. but wish I had started practicing what I preached a lot earlier. Hindsight is 20/20 ................ better late than never though.

Always wanted to do something in agriculture.......... small orchard, vineyard, mixed veggie farm, etc. ................... and now, barely three months into retirement I am gearing up to do exactly that.